The school is located in the center Hillsdale neighborhood next to Rieke Elementary.

Population was growing explosively, so emphasis was put on economy and ease of building, instead of on architectural style as was the norm in the earlier school buildings.

Wilson High School, which was designed by the firm Edmundson and Kochendoerfer, used the technique of lift-slab construction to speed up construction.

[5] In July 2020, Portland Public Schools pledged to rename the school in response to pressure from the community in light of the racial justice movement that followed the murder of George Floyd.

[7] The mascot was also changed from the Trojans to the Guardians (represented by an owl).